John Cabot
Voyages of discovery
Under Royal commission, in 1497 Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) and his crew set out from Bristol in the little wooden ship “The Matthew” seeking an alternative sea route to the east for spice trading.
Sailing west, they discovered Newfoundland, the North American continent, and the rich North Atlantic cod fishing grounds.
This extraordinary adventure is celebrated in the church by a whalebone, brought back by Cabot, a fine model of the Matthew (above the north door) and a stained glass window showing John, three of his sons who sailed with him, and their brave little ship.
The Matthew
A model of Cabot's ship which can be foud above the interior of the entrance from the inner North Porch.
Cabot's whalebone
The whalebone, reputedly brought back from Cabot's 1497 voyage, can be seen in St John's Chapel.
More blog posts
Preached by the Canon Guy Wilkinson
We are so very excited to be part of The Forsytes , a new TV adaptation of John Galsworthy's beloved novels. Produced for Channel 5 and Masterpiece, the show’s first season - which premieres on Monday 20th October 2025 - was filmed almost entirely in and around Bristol between May and August 2024, with significant scenes filmed within St Mary Redcliffe. You can read more about the production on Bristol 24/7 and watch the series' trailer below.
Preached by the Canon Dr Stephen Spencer
On Monday 13th October 2025, members of the SMR staff team visited Bristol Archives to meet Senior Archivist Lucy Bonner and retired archivist Anne Bradley who has been leading the process of transferring archival documents from the church to the Create Centre - home of Bristol Archives - for a number of years. The purpose of the visit was to gather information on best practice for storing, preserving, organizing and transferring documentation to the archives, and to receive advice on how to meet the challenge of archiving in the digital era in which most documents are created and held digitally, rather than printed. This shift in process has had significant implications for the management of archival material, processes for which must now respond to risks associated with the fast pace of technological change and the likely future redundancy of current forms of digital storage technology. During the visit, the team were shown examples of important documents from the church archives, including the original deed for Redcliffe Pipe and the associated pipe lands, dating from around 1190-1200; the founding charter of Queen Elizabeth's Free School of Grammar and Writing from 1571; the C15th deed for one of William Canynges' chantries; and materials relating to the major Victorian restoration of St Mary Redcliffe that took place between 1842 and 1872. The staff team will continue working with Anne and Bristol Archives to embed processes that will ensure current data is preserved for the benefit of future generations.
Preached by the Canon Dr Stephen Spencer
Preached by the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, Associate Vicar
